Tape-measure.



No. 655,052. Patenten 1u|y 3|, |900.

, J. .1. BRUNELLO.

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JOI-IN J. BRUNELLO, OF MAYBEURY, WEST VIRGINIA.A

TAPE-MEAS'U RE.

I SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent No. 655,052, dated July 31, 1900. Application filed January 11, 1900. Serial No. 1,123. (Nonmodel.)

To @ZZ whom tim/ty concern:

Beit known that I, JOHN J. BRUNELLO, a

citizen of the United States, residing at May beury, in the county of McDowell and State of lVest Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Tape-Measures; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art t0 which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to tape-measures.

The object of the invention is to provide a tape-measure which shall be simple of construction, durable in use, and comparatively inexpensive of production and which will be provided with means for locking the tape-reel after the tape has been withdrawn the desired distance, and thereby prevent the further unwinding of the reel.

To this end the invention consists in certain features of construction and combination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved tapemeasure. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a modification.

Referring to the drawings, in which the same reference characters indicate the same parts of the invention, 1 denotes the casing of the tape-measure, having the usual aperture 2 in its periphery for the running of tape, said aperture being provided at its ends with friction-rollers 3, said rollers being journaled in the rectangular frame, which is fitted to the walls of the aperture and secured to the casing.

4 denotes the reel-shaft, journaled in suitable bearings 5, provided with a tape-reel 6, to which one end of the measuring-tape 7 is secured.

8 denotes a ratchet-wheel fixed to the shaft 4, and 9 denotes the folding crank fixed to said shaft and by means of which the shaft is rotated.

10 denotes a dog pivoted within the casing on a transverse pivot-pin 1,1, one end of said dog being :adapted to engage the ratchetwheel and lock it against rotation in the unwinding of the tape and the other end of said Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional viewf dog being provided with a stud 12, which projects `through an aperture 13 in the periphery'of the casing and by means of which the forward end of the dog may be released from the ratchet-wheel and the reel be permitted to unwind in the measuring off of the measuring-tape.V

Upon the shaft is placed a coil-spring 14C, the arm 15 of which bears against the periphery of the casing and the arm 16 of which VThe reel is held in the hand, and the stud 12 pressed downwardly releases the dog from engagement with the ratchet- Wheel. The measuring-tape may now be drawn off the desired distance, and when this has beendone the pressure is removed from the stud,which permits the dog to engage the ratchet-wheel, and thereby prevent further unwinding of the tape. When it is desired towind the tape upon the reel, the winding-crank 9 is operated in the usual manner, the dog not interfering with the movement of the ratchetwheel in the winding up of the` tape, and if it bedesired to render the device noiseless in winding up the tape the lug may be depressed, so as to free the forward end of the dog from engagement with the ratchet-wheel, and thus prevent the clinking noise.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction, operation, and advantages of my improved tape-measure will be readily apparent without requiring an extended explanation.

y It will be seen that the device is simple of construction, that said construction permits of its manufacture at small cost, and that it is exceedingly well adapted for the purpose for which it is designed.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed, and desired to be secur'edbywLetters Patent, is-gp v A tape-measure comprising the case, provided with an opening in its periphery, a

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frame tted to the Walls of the opening and secured in the casing, guidero11ers journaled -in said frame, the reel-shaftjournaled in said casing, the tape-reel secured Wit-hin the oasng to said reel-shaft, an operating-handle secured tothesad shaft, a ratchet-Wheel secured to said shaft, a spring-dog pivoted in the casing, one end of said dog being engaged with the stud that projects through an aper# ture in the casing, While the other end of the dog is adapted to engage the ratchet-Wheel, v

and the measuring-tape secured-to, said reel andleading out from the casing between the ysaid rollers, substantially as and for the pur- 

